Mid-Canterbury's hooker James Carr has been cleared of a red card charge following his team's Heartland Championship match against West Coast in Ashburton on Saturday.
Carr appeared before New Zealand Rugby Union judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC in Christchurch after being sent off for an alleged late shoulder charge in the 71st minute of the match.
But the judicial officer may intervene only if he concludes that the referee's reasons for dealing with the incident in the manner in whch he did were wrong - and Hampton says the referee had accepted the shoulder charge as a stand-alone offence did not warrant a red card as it was not that serious.
He also said Mid Canterbury players had committed a number of transgessions earlier, but no general caution had been isisued before the sending-off.
